1. Field
The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for the display and control of time-based media content such as video and/or audio content via a network, such as the Internet or an intranet, and in particular, to an interface and method for synchronously displaying and controlling time-based media content in a collaborative environment
2. Description of Related Art
Sharing time-based media content (e.g., video or audio files) within a social or collaborative environment such as an instant messaging environment can be arduous. For instance, typically, users may share references (e.g., send links/URLs) to media objects with each other within a conversation window of an instant messaging application (or other social or collaborative environment). These actions, however, do little for synchronizing the display and control of the media object for conversational feedback as each user independently controls the display (e.g., stops, pauses, etc.). For example, when sharing a media object, it is typically desirable to converse and share reactions in more or less real time with the other users. When a video URL is sent during an instant messaging conversation, however, the sender and receiver often have difficulty in conversing efficiently regarding the media object because of a lack of synchronization of the display of the media object, leading to questions such as “is it playing?” or “let me know when you get past the part with the mountains?”
Additionally, controlling the display of time-based media content within a social or collaborative environment presents difficulties for use. For example, even if users coordinate the initiation of playing a media object, controlling the display of the media object by one user device, e.g., pausing or rewinding a shared video by one user, may result in the shared video falling out of synchronization with the other user devices.
Accordingly, there is a desire to synchronously deliver and share time-based media content, such as audio and/or video, among a community of users. In addition, there is a desire to permit real-time control of such media by more than one member of the community in a synchronous manner.